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Book Spotlight

Book Spotlight: The Witch’s Daughter

by Public Service Associate Juliana

The Witch’s Daughter: My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness that Bound Us by Orenda Fink (2024)

Today’s book spotlight features a memoir I gravitated towards as if it was magnetic. I noticed it on the new shelf in the library lobby and felt literally pulled to examine it closer, drawn to the arrangement of pressed flowers on the cover, the unmarked sheet music background, and the black cursive typography of the title that appears to be scribed with a paintbrush. The title itself beckoned me; The Witch’s Daughter sounds like the stuff of dark fairytales and straight away inspired interest and intrigue.

Cover design aside, I later learned that Orenda Fink is part of the American dream pop duo, Azure Ray, who I am familiar with from my Bright Eyes days. Fink has toured and played with Bright Eyes and is married to the lead singer of the Faint who I also listened to during the early 2000s. What excited me most about reading her 2024 debut was to discover that while she is known for being a musician, she is a very talented writer.

The Witch’s Daughter is an excellent title for this memoir, but be advised, don’t go into it expecting too much info about witches or the occult. And if you are not into witchy stuff, don’t let the title dissuade you from picking it up either. It’s a memoir less about magic and more about complicated family relationships, more about music, mothers, and mental illness. Fink grapples with what she suspects is borderline personality disorder that presents in her mother, a subtype referred to as “The Witch.”

The Witch’s Daughter will appeal to anyone who likes memoir as a genre or reading stories about self-discovery. A coming-of-age tale, it traces Fink’s life from childhood into adulthood and details how she came to be a musician and songwriter, how she escaped from where she grew up, and how the gravity of her mother kept pulling her back.

Her mother’s possible mental illness is undiagnosed throughout the book, but by learning and reading about personality disorders Fink comes to understand her mother, her mother’s substance abuse, and their relationship together in ways that had previously been incomprehensible to her.

Book Summary

“From indie musician Orenda Fink, a memoir of a tumultuous childhood growing up with a mother who may have borderline personality disorder. Orenda Fink was raised by a darkly charismatic mother who insisted that they were both MAGIC… Fink’s searing prose brings the reader through these tumultuous highs and lows… and into a healed version of herself who is able to walk through the world without being crushed under the baggage of her childhood.”– Provided by publisher.

Reviews

“Equal parts cutting and compassionate, this tale of hard-won peace will resonate with readers wrestling with their own complicated families.” — Publishers Weekly

“A memorable book of raw, unvarnished recollections.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A master text on surviving trauma… I couldn’t put it down.” — Phoebe Bridgers

Podcast with the Author

  • Musician Orenda Fink on Glass Castles, Witchy Mothers, and Family Dysfunction | Shelf Life podcast

Read-Alike Titles

  • Just Kids by Patti Smith |book / audiobook (read by the author) |”An artist and musician recounts her romance, lifetime friendship, and shared love of art with Robert Mapplethorpe, in a memoir that includes such influential artists as Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, and William Burroughs.”
  • I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy| book |”The iCarly and Sam & Cat star, after her controlling mother dies, gets the help she needs to overcome eating disorders, addiction and unhealthy relationships–and finally decides what she really wants for the first time in her life.”
  • Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner |book |”The Japanese Breakfast indie pop star presents a full-length account of her viral New Yorker essay to share poignant reflections on her experiences of growing up Korean American, becoming a professional musician and caring for her terminally ill mother.”
  • Everything/Nothing/Someone by Alice Carriere |book |”This compelling literary debut tells the story of a young woman coming of age in the bohemian ’90s as she navigates through the challenges of adolescence and grapples with dissociative disorder.”

Music to Explore

  • Drawing Down the Moon by Azure Ray (2010) | YouTube
  • Fasciinatiion by The Faint (2008) | CD

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Book Spotlight Recommendations staff favorites

Book Spotlight: Aug 9–Fog

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Aug 9–Fog by Kathryn Scanlan (2019) | print

Spare • Experimental fiction • Literary realism

Welcome to another Book Spotlight! Today’s feature, Aug 9–Fog, will appeal to those who gravitate toward literary realism.

Literary realism: a literary movement that represents reality by portraying mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life. (Master Class)

All the books currently checked out on my library card contain the subject “everyday life”, books by Tove Jansson, Virginia Woolf, Kathryn Scanlan. These books highlight the beauty of the day-to-day, the minutiae of real life. This results in leisurely paced narratives that focus on character rather than plot; nothing much happens; characters talk about the weather, daily routines and what they’ll watch later on TV.

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Online Resources Staff Book Reviews

Awesome Audiobooks

by Public Service Associate Owen

Audiobooks are quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to ingest a good book. While nothing quite beats cozying up to your favorite hard cover or thumbing through a paperback, audiobooks really are a great alternative, especially for those who might not have the time to sit down and read. Audiobooks are a great option if you’re traveling, cleaning the house, or otherwise too occupied to read a physical book. Whether you’re planning for a road trip and need some in-car entertainment, or want to listen to a good story while you take a walk (as I am one to do), a good audiobook has you covered! And with Libby, it’s easier than ever to access and borrow thousands of titles right from your phone or other device! I’d like to highlight a few of my favorite audiobooks, as well as others that fellow BPL staff members have recommended, so that you have a good place to start from if you’re interested in getting into the audiobook scene. Happy listening!

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Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Beguiling Biographies

by Public Service Associate Owen

Biographies! Across the many realms of print and literature, there are many topics, subjects and styles that stand out. But none stand out quite like biographies, as this particular brand of non-fiction revolves around the lives of single persons. They cover the trials and tribulations of the lives of all sorts of famous people, from Julius Caesar to Cesar Chavez. Thus, biographies are an efficient, excellent way to live vicariously through some of the most famous and influential people to ever exist. There is so much to discover about the idols, villains, actors, innovators, leaders, stars, and extraordinary humans of our lives, and one of the best ways to do so is by getting your hands on a good biography. So, in this blog, I will be highlighting four intriguing biographies of four very different yet equally remarkable people. From Henrietta Lacks to Winston Churchill to Frida Kahlo, each biography tells a thrilling tale of some of life’s most colorful characters.

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Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

All Roads Lead to Rome

by Public Service Associate Autumn

Or maybe all roads just lead to Roman troubles. A large swath of problems facing the United States today, also faced the Romans at some point during their thousand years of civilization. Climate change made growing food and combating disease harder. People everywhere were divided on how to live and who to believe. Countries invaded their neighbors. Money swayed politics. Violence broke out in the streets. Swelling inequality made living harder and bred distrust in political systems. People scrabbled to reach the top or to just support themselves in an ever shifting world. So today, on the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar and the change it ultimately sparked in Rome’s government, take a break from the turbulence of today and dive into the machinations and turmoil of Rome. Learn how the Romans handled, or ignored, their problems or just enjoy reading about problems that are already solved by checking out some of the following books.

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Booklists Staff Book Reviews

Columbus Reads

by Public Service Associate Owen

Our humble capital city of Columbus is one of the nicest places to live in the state, and perhaps even the country! If you’re optimistic enough, that is. Often scoffed at by those who don’t reside here and often underappreciated by those that do, I am here to sing the praises of our state capital and to highlight some of the books that provide insight into what makes Columbus a special place to live. From the Statehouse to the Chill, here are four books about Columbus!

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Booklists Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Books I’m Thankful For

by Public Service Associate Owen

I find Thanksgiving to be a wonderful holiday, where friends and family can gather with purpose to be thankful for each other and for what has gone well in their lives. This is the time of year where I am most attentive to what good is around me and what has shaped me as a person. This is especially true with books, which have had such a profound effect on how I was raised and how I view the world today. In this blog post, I will briefly elaborate some of the literary works that have had a substantial impact on my life. In doing so, I hope to both open your eyes to some of these monumental works, as well as to encourage you to reflect on some of the authors and books that have affected your life in a positive way.

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Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Indigenous Heritage Month

by Public Service Associate Owen

November is National Indigenous Heritage Month, and as such it is an honor to use this space to feature some works of prolific indigenous authors. As Americans, it is of vital importance to recognize the peoples of this continent who were here prior to settlers and colonists. By highlighting some great works of indigenous authors, including the one book that brought indigenous literature into the mainstream, I hope to at least pay some respect to those whose voices were often silenced.

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Booklists Recommendations

Hispanic Heritage Month

A Celebration of Gabriel García Márquez

by Public Service Associate Owen

September is Hispanic Heritage Month! In celebration, I would like to use this space to highlight and honor one of the most prolific Latin American authors, whose innovative style, elegant prose, and rich, emotive themes have enlivened bookshelves continents over. The Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez who lived from 1927-2014. He was one of the most prolific writers of the last century, and, together with authors such as Julio Cortázar of Argentina, Carlos Fuentes of Mexico, and Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru, was a key figure in the Latin American literary boom of the 1960s and 1970s. His novels, especially One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, are pioneering works that provide a window into the condition of Latin American life. These works helped establish Latin America as a bastion of innovative literary styles, as García Márquez’s signature style, magical realism, was pioneered in these novels.

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Recommendations Staff Book Reviews Virtual Book Club

Bride of the Sea

by Public Service Associate Nichole

During a snowy Cleveland February, newlywed university students Muneer and Saeedah are expecting their first child, and he is harboring a secret: the word divorce is whispering in his ear. Soon, their marriage will end, and Muneer will return to Saudi Arabia, while Saeedah remains in Cleveland with their daughter, Hanadi. Consumed by a growing fear of losing her daughter, Saeedah disappears with the little girl, leaving Muneer to desperately search for his daughter for years. The repercussions of the abduction ripple outward, not only changing the lives of Hanadi and her parents, but also their interwoven family and friends—those who must choose sides and hide their own deeply guarded secrets.

And when Hanadi comes of age, she finds herself at the center of this conflict, torn between the world she grew up in and a family across the ocean. How can she exist between parents, between countries?

penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/671244/bride-of-the-sea-by-eman-quotah/9781951142452